Amaterasu イタチ

Name of the game: Smalland: Survive the Wild Price: $22.49 USD Link Store: https://store.steampowered.com/app/768200/Smalland_Survive_the_Wilds/ Offer ends up after X hours: INTRODUCTORY OFFER! Offer ends 5 April Requirements: MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7 SP1 Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-9400 CPU @ 2.90GHz or equivalent Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or equivalent DirectX: Version 12 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 20 GB available space

Epic Games announced at today's State of Unreal conference at GDC that it will give 40% of the total net revenues earned from Fortnite's Item Shop and "related real-money purchases" to eligible Fortnite content creators in what it calls "Creator Economy 2.0." The new system will exist alongside the Support-A-Creator program, which is "returning to its roots as an affiliate marketing program for streamers and social media content creators." "The money in the economy comes from player spending in the item shop. Fortnite generates billions of dollars a year in revenues from players' purchases," Fortnite Ecosystem executive vice president Saxs Persson said during today's State of Unreal conference. "Fortnite players who have fun engaging in islands tend to spend more in the Item Shop. Creators who make po[CENSORED]r islands are bringing real value to the Fortnite ecosystem, and we're going to share the resulting revenue with them." A detailed breakdown of the system is available on the Fortnite Creator Portal(opens in new tab), but the crash course version is that 40% of total net revenues earned from Fortnite's Item Shop and "related real-money purchases" will be put into an "engagement pool," which will be disbursed monthly to eligible content creators. That includes "legal entities like companies" and island creators who are at least 18 years of age, although Epic is looking to open the program to younger island creators as well. The actual revenues shared each month will vary, depending on a number of factors: Real money spent on Fortnite Purchase of V-Bucks Real money transactions (Starter Packs, Quest Packs, cosmetics) Fortnite Crew subscriptions The existing Support-A-Creator program, which debuted in 2018(opens in new tab) as a way for fans to support their favorite creators, will continue to exist as an affiliate program for streamers and social media content creators. But it's being removed from Fortnite islands because, according to Epic, it's no longer really necessary: "Players can now show support for their favorite creators’ islands simply by playing them." This new system is "transformative" for Fortnite island creators, but Epic believes there will be spin-off benefits for players too. "The benefit of this new approach is rooted in fun, and rewards everyone's creative work, both yours and Epic's," Persson said. "There's no need to design cunning monetization loops or extractive gating items. You make an island the players love—that is all you need to be part of the new economy." Creator Economy 2.0 is live now. To learn more about what's involved or sign up for a piece of the action, head over to the Island Creator Program page(opens in new tab). https://www.pcgamer.com/epic-will-share-40-of-item-shop-revenues-with-fortnite-island-creators-theres-no-need-to-design-cunning-monetization-loops-anymore/

As a part of Intel's strategy of devouring businesses that do not exactly fit its IDM 2.0 strategy, the company this week quietly started to exit its wireless wire area network (WWAN) business. The move has been in development for a while and while Intel is set to cease making 4G and 5G modems itself, it will continue to provide notebook solutions based on its CPUs yet equipped with MediaTek-badged modems, reports More Than Moore. While the world is getting more connected, connectivity is perhaps becoming a commodity business for companies like Intel that strive to be vertically integrated yet sell their products at high margins. This is perhaps why the company sold its 4G and 5G smartphone/tablet modem business to Apple back in mid-2019 and this is why it is selling the remaining business to MediaTek. For MediaTek, Intel's PC modem technology will enable it to offer connectivity solutions for the whole stack of client devices, starting from humble Internet-of-Things gadgets and ending up with advanced ultrabooks used by road warriors. After Intel sold its cellular phone modem business to Apple — the key customer of this business unit so to speak — yet retained its crucial 4G and 5G patents (at least some of which it inherited from Infineon as a part of its 2011 wireless solutions acquisition), it kept offering 4G and 5G modem solutions as part of its laptop platforms. At some point, the company decided to team up with MediaTek and Fibocom for manufacturing of appropriate modems. Now, the company plans to transfer its 5G technology to Fibocom and MediaTek and is currently facilitating the transfer of driver code and licensing agreements to maintain customer experience. Although Intel intends to exit the 5G market by July, it will retain a small team to aid MediaTek, which adheres hardware, software and clients. The technology transfer is expected to be completed by May and is not expected to have any financial impact on Intel. Intel's OEM partners using 5G solutions can continue to collaborate with MediaTek to provide updates and upgrades to their existing product roadmaps. "As we continue to prioritize investments in our IDM 2.0 strategy, we have made the difficult decision to exit our WWAN client business for both LTE and 5G," said Eric McLaughlin, VP, GM Wireless Solutions, Intel, in a statement issued to More Than Moore. We are working with our partners and customers to facilitate a seamless transition to support their ongoing business and ensure our customers continue to have solutions for the connected PC segment." For Intel, its 4G and 5G modem business may not be the most profitable one. Furthermore, as Analyst Dr. Ian Cutress points out, the total available market of always-connected PCs (ACPCs) has not increased in the recent years. While there might be an influx of a ACPCs from Apple (which has appropriate modem technology it inherited from Intel) and Qualcomm, Intel may not be inclined to compete with these two platforms given allegedly limited profit margins in this sector. Meanwhile, offering a whole stack of connectivity solutions makes a great sense for MediaTek, which is going to get the business unit. "MediaTek has a strong history of delivering global wireless solutions, and continues to make investments in its wireless modem portfolio beyond the smartphone into PCs and other devices," a statement by MediaTek cited by More Than Moore reads. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-quits-laptop-modem-biz

Former President Donald Trump is set to hold a campaign rally Saturday in Waco, Texas – returning to the trail amid his warnings of “death & destruction” resulting from investigations into his actions. The rally at the Waco Regional Airport is a return to the mega-rallies reminiscent of Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns, as the Republican field for the 2024 presidential race begins to take shape. The former president’s return to his favorite event staging comes as he is faced with investigations in New York City over a hush money payment, Georgia over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith over classified documents the FBI found at Mar-A-Lago, his attempts to steal the 2020 election and his role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection. In recent days, the former president has made increasingly bellicose remarks about those probes, including predicting last week his own indictment and arrest in Manhattan – something that has not come to pass – and urging supporters to protest. Raging against Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg on his Truth Social social media platform Friday, Trump said criminal charges could lead to “potential death & destruction” and “could be catastrophic for our Country.” “PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT!,” Trump said in another post. On Thursday, he said Bragg “would rather indict an innocent man and create years of hatred, chaos, and turmoil, than give him his well deserved ‘freedom.’ The whole Country sees what is going on, and they’re not going to take it anymore. They’ve had enough!” The Manhattan grand jury investigating Trump did not conclude this week. In other probes, Trump’s defense attorney Evan Corcoran appeared Friday before a federal grand jury in Washington, where he was expected to answer questions in the classified documents probe that the former president unsuccessfully fought to hold back. And a federal judge ordered several former Trump aides, including former chief of staff Mark Meadows, to testify before a grand jury as part of the criminal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. At the same time Trump attacks those investigating him, he is ramping up attacks on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – who early polls suggest could be the former president’s top rival for the 2024 Republican nomination. DeSantis has not yet entered the race. But with a new book and increased out-of-state travel, the former House Freedom Caucus member appears to be inching closer to a presidential bid. He has also demonstrated a willingness for the first time this week to brawl with Trump. While accusing Bragg over overreach, DeSantis needled Trump in front of a crowd in Panama City, Florida, on Monday, working the details of the $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election into his remarks. DeSantis said he doesn’t “know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair.” Trump adviser and spokesman Jason Miller tweeted that DeSantis “has finally shown his true colors. An establishment Never Trumper who despises the MAGA base and was faking it the entire time.” In an interview with British television host Piers Morgan, DeSantis brushed off Trump’s attempts to twist his name into an unflattering nickname. “You can call me whatever you want,” said DeSantis, who was re-elected in a landslide in 2022 despite the GOP’s worse-than-expected performance nationwide, “just as long as you also call me a winner.” In an effort to draw contrast over the coronavirus pandemic, Trump on Friday posted a video on Truth Social in which DeSantis touted Florida’s efforts to test for Covid-19, alongside Trump’s own skepticism about the need for tests. Trump also previewed lines of attack he could use again on Saturday in Waco – one that echoed progressive criticism of DeSantis’ record as he moves toward a presidential run. On Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had gotten more votes in Florida running for president than DeSantis did running for governor – without mentioning that DeSantis won re-election in a midterm year, in which fewer voters historically cast ballots – and accused the Florida governor of backing GOP proposals to narrow entitlement programs. Trump wrote that DeSantis “is, for a Republican, an average Governor, he got 1.2 million less Votes in Florida than me, he fought for massive cuts in Social Security and Medicare, and wanted the Social Security minimum age to be raised to 70-years-old, or more. He is a disciple of Paul Ryan, and did whatever Ryan told him to do…” DeSantis said in a Fox News interview earlier this month that Republicans will not “mess with” Social Security. Ahead of the Waco rally, Trump’s niece Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist and strident critic of the former president, on Twitter urged people to reserve seats without showing up – a ploy reminiscent of a 2020 Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where teens. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/25/politics/texas-trump-2024-rally

The animal charity has said that the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act applies to all vertebrate animals, not only farmed animals, and that it could lead to cats and dogs being gene-edited to include extreme features. The law allows the creation and marketing of “precision-bred” or genome-edited plants and vertebrate animals in England. The government said it would allow farmers to grow crops that are drought- and disease-resistant, reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides, and help breed animals that are protected from catching harmful diseases. The UK environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, described the act, which received royal assent on Thursday, as a “Brexit freedom”, but the RSPCA said it could have dire consequences for animal welfare. David Bowles, the head of campaigns and public affairs at the RSPCA, criticised what he described as an “ill-judged policy”. He said the charity had tried to get the government to include an exemption for pets, but was “sadly ignored”. He added: “Gene editing could be a huge step backwards for animals. We do not believe this act should include animals, whether they are farm, pet or wildlife. Invasive procedures are needed to create each line of gene-edited mammals, there is no history of use for this powerful technology, and it can cause unintended changes to the genome, with unpredictable effects. The RSPCA has serious animal welfare and ethical concerns about this.” Genome editing is a group of techniques that enable changes to an organism’s DNA, and the animal charity warned that editing an animal’s genome involved procedures that could cause “pain, suffering, distress and lasting harm”. Gene editing was previously subject to the strict rules and regulations that control genetically modified organisms (GMOs), but under this new law gene-edited animals and food will not be classed in England as GMOs and will not need to be labelled as such. There are concerns that a demand for cats and dogs with extreme appearances could cause breeders to use gene editing to create pets with these characteristics. “We feel there is no justification whatsoever for non-farm animals to be covered by the [legislation],” Bowles said. “Ongoing demands for dogs and cats with harmful physical characteristics and exaggerated conformational features, and relentless pressure on sporting animals, are already of deep concern, and there has been no public consultation on gene editing non-farm animals.” The government has said it would take a “step-by-step” approach when releasing the regulatory framework that goes with the act. It said in a press release: “While there is great potential for increasing innovation, the government recognises that there is a need to safeguard animal welfare in the new regulatory framework. That is why we are taking a step-by-step approach, enabling use of precision breeding technologies with plants first followed by animals later.” https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/mar/24/pets-could-be-gene-edited-under-new-english-law-says-rspca

The city of Amory, Mississippi, is under an emergency boil water notice Saturday due to severe weather damage. “The Amory Water Department suffered a direct hit from the tornado yesterday,” the city's police department said in a Facebook post. The department is also enforcing an overnight curfew starting at 8 p.m. local time (9 p.m. ET) Saturday night. “Please remain off of the streets unless you are a first responder,” the police department said. Amory is located in northeast Mississippi, about 25 miles from Tupelo. The National Weather Service has survey teams in four Mississippi counties Saturday to assess damage.Mississippi storm death toll rises to 25 From CNN’s Andy Rose More fatalities from severe storms overnight in Mississippi were confirmed Saturday afternoon by the state Emergency Management Agency, bringing the death toll in the state to 25. “The fatalities are reported in Sharkey, Humphreys, Carroll, and Monroe counties,” the agency said in a news release. “Four people reported missing overnight have now been accounted for.” The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said dozens of people were injured in the storms. In Alabama, a man died after getting trapped in his mobile home during the storm, making the total death toll confirmed by authorities after the storms 26.In the wake of the powerful storms that killed at least two dozen people in the Mississippi Delta, aid groups are on the ground assisting those in need. Here are ways you can help the relief effort, and also ways you can get assistance: Team Rubicon: Team Rubicon is on the ground in the devastated town of Rolling Fork performing chainsaw operations to clear roads for residents and first responders. The group is also set up to help survivors clear trees, tarp roofs and muck out debris inside homes. Devon Miller of Team Rubicon told CNN the group is looking for new volunteers. Although the team is led by military veterans, first responders and civilians can also sign up to volunteer. The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Division) has deployed their canteens to Rolling Fork, Amory, Silver City, and Winona, Mississippi. These mobile units distribute ready-to-eat meals and water to people in need. William Trueblood, Emergency Disaster Services Director for The Salvation Army ALM Division, expects to distribute between 16,000 and 20,000 meals daily. Donations and volunteer support will be vital. Volunteers not already trained with the organization can be paired with certified workers to join the deployed canteen crews. The Red Cross: Red Cross of Alabama and Mississippi have set up a shelter in Humphreys County at the Greenville Multipurpose Center for those who have been displaced. The group is also serving meals. The Centers for Disaster Philanthropy: The Center for Disaster Philanthropy is focusing on long-term recovery needs such as rebuilding homes and mental health services. MSEMA: The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency coordinates state and local emergency food and shelter. SAMHSA: If you’re facing emotional distress as a result of this tragedy, experienced counselors from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) Distress Hotline are available for 24/7 emotional support. Call or text 1-800-985-5990. NMRLS: North Mississippi Rural Legal Services (NMRLS) helping residents of north Mississippi with legal issues related to property loss. If you are in need of their services, call their hotline at 1-800-498-1804 Monday through Thursday between 9:30 am to 3:30 pm and press Option # 3 to get help. https://edition.cnn.com/weather/live-news/mississippi-tornado-03-25-23/index.html

Nick Movie: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always | Official Trailer | Netflix Time: / Netflix / Amazon / HBO?: Netflix Duration of the movie: / Trailer:

Nvidia has quietly removed some of the concurrent video encoding limitations from its consumer graphics processing units, so they can now encode up to five streams. The move will simplify the life of video enthusiasts, but Nvidia's data center grade and professional GPUs will continue to have a massive edge over consumer products as now Nvidia does not restrict the number of concurrent sessions on them. Nvidia has increased the number of concurrent NVENC encodes on consumer GPUs from three to five, according to the company's own Video Encode and Decode GPU Support Matrix(opens in new tab). This is effective for dozens of products based on the Maxwell 2nd Gen, Pascal, Turing, Ampere, and Ada Lovelace microarchitectures (except some MX-series products) and released in the last eight years or so. However, the number of concurrent NVDEC decodes in these GPUs is still limited to one stream. The change does not affect the number of NVENC and NVDEC hardware units activated in Nvidia's consumer GPUs. For example, Nvidia's latest AD102 graphics processor, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, features three hardware NVENC encoders(opens in new tab) and three NVDEC decoders. All three are enabled on Nvidia's RTX 6000 Ada and L40 boards for workstations and data centers, but only two are active on consumer-grade GeForce RTX 4090Historically, Nvidia has restricted the number of concurrent decoding and encoding sessions on all of its graphics cards. Consumer-oriented GeForce boards supported up to three simultaneous NVENC video encoding sessions and up to one NVDEC video decoding stream. By contrast, Nvidia's workstation and data center solutions running the same silicon and aimed at ProViz, video streaming services, games streaming services, and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) could support 11 – 17 concurrent NVENC sessions depending on quality and hardware. It turned out a couple of years ago that Nvidia's restrictions could be removed by a relatively simple hack. But Nvidia's stance on NVENC and NVDEC limitations has evidently changed. Now, consumer GPU support up to 5 concurrent NVENC encode sessions and up to 1 NVDEC decode session at once. By contrast, workstation-grade and data center-grade boards do not have any restrictions and the actual number of concurrent sessions depends on actual hardware capabilities and video quality. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/nvidia-increases-concurrent-nvenc-sessions-on-consumer-gpus

Name of the game: Human: Fall Flat Price: $5.99 USD Link Store: https://store.steampowered.com/app/477160/Human_Fall_Flat/ Offer ends up after X hours: WEEKEND DEAL! Offer ends 6 April Requirements: MINIMUM: OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 x86 and x64 Processor: Intel Core2 Duo E6750 (2 * 2660) or equivalent | AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 6000+ (2 * 3000) or equivalent Memory: 1024 MB RAM Graphics: GeForce GT 740 (2048 MB) or equivalent | Radeon HD 5770 (1024 MB) Storage: 500 MB available space

Following weeks of teasing, Valve today announced Counter-Strike 2(opens in new tab), the next step for perhaps the greatest and most po[CENSORED]r competitive FPS in history. Counter-Strike players are their own breed, both deeply in love with the game and always grousing about its problems, and one thing Counter-Strike 2 did right off the bat is address longstanding complaints and get those fans excited. The reaction is almost universally positive, though naturally, bear in mind very few people have played the game itself at this point. I could just reproduce dozens of different variants on all-caps "let's goooooooo" and various internet goblins talking about what Counter-Strike 2 does to their sexual organs, but beyond the anticipation there's some deeper appreciation for what Valve is trying to do here and how it's approached updating the game: I mean, it looks like my dream Counter-Strike(opens in new tab). Just look at those smokes... they're so beautiful. "Counter Strike 2 has some seriously impressive gameplay driven GPU usage," says Digital Foundry's Alexander Battaglia(opens in new tab). "This reminds me of the cool ambition in graphics we saw back in '05-11. Movable and deformable volumetrics." Volumetric af! Everyone loves the smokes. "These new smokes completely change everything," writes SixFU(opens in new tab). "Like fighting around a smoke is now a whole ass chess match itself." Sauce Science Guy(opens in new tab) sees through the whole thing though. "There is no smoke if my team has p90s taps head" "They better add the liquid in bottles tech next," says Karsvolcanospace(opens in new tab). "Check the website, that's in too," says the helpful RaptorDotCCP. Karsvolcanospace is happy: "This truly is an upgrade now." Another minor change, which will seem laughable to non Counter-Strikers but is Very Important OK, is that you can now see your avatar's legs. Game-changer! Valve, of course, has leaned into this on social.This incidentally shows a Glock fade skin, from CS:GO, in the new game. Doesn't she look pretty. Even more impressive, as can be seen at one point's in Valve's explainer videos, is that you can also see your own shadows being cast. Another notable change, and one of the few that instantly seems less po[CENSORED]r though that's probably to be expected, is a new HUD. "OMG I hope original HUD is an option," says BusinessAd_9721, no doubt speaking for many(opens in new tab). One detail in this new HUD that's neat, however, is it seems to have 'kill cards' tracking how you're doing in a given round. Many figures in the competitive scene have known this was coming for a while, and naturally how Counter-Strike 2 will land as an esport is an open question. What's important to remember, though, is that Counter-Strike is not merely a game to such folk, but a way of life. "Counter-Strike 2 had me crying on the stream for the first time in my entire life..." says ex-pro Jacob Winneche(opens in new tab). "I've been living, breathing and loving Counter Strike for the past 15 years of my life. I wanna live, breath, and love Counter Strike for the next 15 years as well." Amen brother. Some esports figures, like Shroud, reckon this is going to blow Valorant away. As he says (joking) to one of his friends in this stream clip, "Quit Valorant, it's done. It's [CENSORED] over. https://www.pcgamer.com/community-and-esports-reaction-to-counter-strike-2-quit-valorant-its-done-its-fing-over/

Gene-edited food can now be developed commercially in England following a change in the law. Supporters of the technology say it will speed up the development of hardier crops that will be needed because of climate change. Critics say that the change could bring ''disaster'' to our food production and the environment. Gene editing involves making precise changes to an organism's DNA to enhance certain characteristics. What is gene-edited food and is it safe to eat? The new law also opens the door to the development of gene-edited farm animals, but a further vote by MPs will be required before it is allowed, again only in England. The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments have not permitted the commercial use of gene editing.Gene editing in England had been covered under the same tight regulation that has restricted the commercial development of GM crops under EU law. Brexit has enabled the Westminster government to relax the rules for the newer technology. The chief scientific advisor for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Prof Gideon Henderson, says that the new rules will lead to better food production and bring jobs and investment to England. "What's changed is that we can now use precision breeding technology developed in the lab and take it into the fields so that we can grow better crops and bring them to market more readily so that we can use the technology to enhance agricultural outcomes and food production in the UK and globally," he said. The Precision Breeding Act allows only genetic changes that could also have been produced naturally or through traditional crossbreeding programmes already in use today. GM can involve the introduction of genes from other species and will not be permitted. Gene editing enables researchers to make precise genetic changes to a plant's DNA, for example adding a gene to boost its growth or reduce dependence on fertiliser. The same change could be produced by crossbreeding different varieties, but it would take much longer. The new law allows for the use of gene editing and other methods that may arise in the future, provided the end result is a crop that is no different to a variety that could have been naturally produced. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64596453

Hairdryers whirr, curling irons sizzle and clouds of hairspray fill the air backstage at LA fashion week, as stylists riffle through clothes rails and make frantic adjustments to hemlines. Models are lining up to be photographed, moments before the show begins, but they all seem a little distracted. One doesn’t want to budge from their spot, another starts sniffing someone’s crotch, while a third makes a break for an open door. “The dogs are a lot easier than human models,” says designer Anthony Rubio, as he stitches a gold sequin on to a tiny pup-sized bedazzled jacket. “They don’t have opinions and they don’t compete with each other. They’re all about having a good time.” I have come to the hot, brightly-lit basement of a glitzy venue in downtown Los Angeles, for a behind the scenes look at Rubio’s 2023 Canine Couture show. It is billed as “the feelgood show of the season”, the one event in the fashion calendar “where the humans are the accessories”. After four months living in LA, I feel I may have found its true spiritual centre. Dogs are born with ready-to-wear fur coats, but that hasn’t stopped their owners from dressing them up further. From the simpler days of practical quilted jackets and waxed-cotton waterproofs, dog clothing and accessories has ballooned into a $10bn industry of designer pup ponchos, mutt-friendly miniskirts and hound-sized hats. Gucci, Celine and Hugo Boss produce luxury lines for four-legged friends, and even high-street brands such as H&M now offer ranges of pooch-shaped plaid shirts and fluffy turtleneck sweaters.But Rubio’s creations are something else entirely. As the self-styled “master pet couturier”, he was the first designer to put dogs on the catwalk at New York fashion week, crafting tailored tuxedos and bespoke ballgowns that can cost up to $10,000. It has been quite a journey for this high-school teacher of 33 years, who once studied womenswear and fell into the canine fashion world by chance. “Eighteen years ago, I adopted a dog that had been really beaten and abused,” says Rubio, as he fiddles with an embroidered cape backstage. “He used to shake and tremble. One day I decided to make him a jacket and it really calmed him down. Then we dressed him up as Elvis for Halloween and, before you know it, we were winning competitions all over New York. The rest is history.” Since then, Rubio has appeared on Good Morning America and says he has raised more than $4m for various animal rescue charities, but it’s the dogs themselves that are the real celebrities. As I mill around the room, trying not to step on fluffy tails and lacy trains, I am handed business cards and stickers from the dog owners – sorry, “pet parents” – each proud mum eager to tell me about their good boy’s list of achievements. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/mar/24/inside-la-canine-couture-show-anthony-rubio

The US conducted an airstrike in Syria against what it said were Iranian-affiliated facilities after a suspected Iranian drone on Thursday struck a facility housing US personnel in the country, killing an American contractor and wounding five US service members. The contractor was an American citizen, a spokesman for US Central Command confirmed, and an additional US contractor was also wounded in the strike. An official familiar with the matter told CNN that the injured service members are all in stable condition. “The intelligence community assess the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) to be of Iranian origin,” the Pentagon said. In response to the strike, President Joe Biden authorized a precision airstrike “in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC),” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in the statement. The US, according to the Pentagon statement, “took proportionate and deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize casualties.” “As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,” Austin said. “No group will strike our troops with impunity.” The strikes are likely to increase tensions with Iran, with which the proxy groups are aligned, though Tehran isn’t always involved in directing attacks that they conduct. The US has already sanctioned Tehran for providing attack drones to Russia to use in the war in Ukraine. And on Thursday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley reiterated US concerns that Iran has the potential to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon in less than two weeks and manufacture one within months.The drone intentionally crashed into its target, the official said. The infrastructure that was targeted in the US response was not directly related to the suspected Iranian drone itself, the official said, but was instead targeted by the US because it was known to be supporting Iranian proxy groups in the country with munitions and intelligence. The number of casualties from the US airstrike is still being determined, the official said. The commander of US Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, said the US could carry out additional strikes if there were more attacks. “We are postured for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks,” Kurilla said in a statement Thursday evening. The US maintains approximately 900 troops in Syria. Kurilla said earlier Thursday that Iranian proxies had carried out drone attacks or rocket attacks against US forces in the Middle East 78 times since the beginning of 2021, an average of nearly one attack every 10 days. “What Iran does to hide its hand is they use Iranian proxies,” Kurilla told a House Armed Services Committee hearing earlier in the day. “That’s either UAVs or rockets to be able to attack our forces in either Iraq or Syria.” Asked if such attacks were considered an act of war, Kurilla said, “They are being done by the Iranian proxies is what I would tell you.” Latest US strike against Iranian assets in region The Biden administration has carried out airstrikes against militias affiliated with Iran on multiple occasions following previous attacks on US facilities in the region. In February 2021, Biden’s first known military action was to carry out strikes against Iranian-backed militias after rocket attacks on US troops in Iraq. And in August, the US struck a group of bunkers used for ammunition storage and logistics support by Iranian proxies in Syria, after rockets landed near another US facility. Milley visited US troops in Syria earlier this month, marking the first time he has visited as the top US general. Milley visited troops in northeast Syria who are there as part of the ongoing campaign to defeat ISIS, a mission the US carries out with its partners in the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. But Milley’s visit also focused on the safety of US troops, his spokesman had said, and he inspected for protection measures in Syria. Two weeks before Milley’s visit, US and coalition forces at Green Village in Syria came under rocket attack. No US or coalition troops were injured in that attack, but it underscored the threat emanating from adversaries in the region, often in the form of Iranian-backed proxies or militias. Just two days before the rocket attack, four US troops and one working dog were injured in a helicopter raid against a senior ISIS leader in northeast Syria. This story has been updated with additional details. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/23/politics/syria-suspected-drone-strike-us-contractor-killed

Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the Hollywood film “Hotel Rwanda” and had been sentenced to prison in Rwanda, has had his sentence commuted by the country’s President Paul Kagame after his request for clemency, officials in Rwanda said Friday. Rusesabagina was found guilty on terrorism-related charges in September 2021 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. “Commutation of sentence does not extinguish the underlying conviction,” said government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo on Friday.“Rwanda notes the constructive role of the US government in creating conditions for dialogue on this issue, as well as the facilitation provided by the State of Qatar,” she added. Rusesabagina, who is a dual Rwandan and Belgian citizen and resident of the United States, will be released on Saturday along with 19 other people that had been convicted alongside him, Makolo told CNN. Rusesabagina was arrested by Rwandan authorities while he was traveling internationally in 2020 in what his family has claimed was a kidnapping.“We are pleased to hear the news about Paul’s release. The family is hopeful to reunite with him soon,” a spokesperson for Rusesabagina’s family told CNN. At his trial in 2021, Rusesabagina was found guilty of being part of a terror group called MRCD-FLN. Two 2018 attacks in which nine people died were a particular focus, according to a government statement. However the Clooney Foundation for Justice described the verdict as a “show trial,” and claimed that Rusesabagina’s conviction lacked sufficient guarantees of fairness “required by international and African standards.” Rusesabagina, an outspoken critic of President Kagame, is best known for saving hundreds of Rwandans during the country’s genocide by sheltering them in the hotel he managed. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/24/africa/paul-rusesabagina-released-rwanda-intl/index.html